u/BornInTheTrenches

I just need some support. I have OHSV2 and GHSV2. Recently my ghsv spread to my torso/arm, which sparked a severe oral outbreak as well, lesions in my nose and a small red patch just under my left eyebrow. Some facial itching and twitching. No blisters though. I'm worried that this means I have it in my eye now, but I'm not sure. Has anyone had oral herpes show up like this in their face that didn't inoculate their eyes?

I went to an urgent care since my doc is closed on weekends. She did the yellow dye test, it was fine. And all she did was say to keep taking my meds like I've been taking them. I hope this is just a fluke that I had something show up there.

Buckle up. 36m. I've had this virus for 17 years. Needless to say, I did not cope with it well, and I let it destroy my self confidence and my mental health for all of my 20s. Started getting ghsv outbreaks when I was 19 (anal area), then ohsv from another guy maybe 7 years later in my throat (however, I didn't realize who I got it from at the time). The worst pain ever. Around this time I was delving hardcore into drugs and alcohol to cope, then really hard drugs, party drugs. I got lost in methamphetamine and risky behaviors for a couple years around my mid 20s. Funny thing is I never caught anything else during all that time, and I also never really had any outbreaks while I was using which was weird. Anyway, I got sober at 31 and have since been sober for 5 years. And in that time things have only gotten worse for me.

A couple years ago I hooked up with the same guy who had given to me orally (again, still didn't know he had given to me at this time). 3 days later I start getting an outbreak right next to my penis. Then I realize he was the one who gave it to me orally several years before. Great, now I have it in 3 spots. Only had the 1 outbreak near my penis. Most of my recurrences or either anal or throat. By now they had become very mild and didn't bother me anymore.

This is when I decide to go on suppressive antivirals, about 14 years into having this. This was likely the worst idea because of what was about to happen.

I realized that the antivirals don't minimize the number of my outbreaks, they just lessen the severity so much that I don't always realize when I'm having one. Which is a recipe for disaster.

Last year I had some dental work done and was given antibiotics for a root canal. The antibiotics lowered my immune system so much that the throat herpes then spread to my whole mouth. I now I get constant outbreaks inside my mouth that are aweful.

A month ago I had another root canal done, and during that round of antibiotics I had a really bad oral and genital outbreak, second outbreak on my penis after the initial one 3 years ago. I had masturbated BEFORE I noticed the outbreak, a little red spot, which caused it spread to my ARM! My whole arm and hand were on fire for like 2 weeks. It had all the hallmarks of a new infection, flu like symptoms, intense nerve pain, nerves firing and tingling, dull pains in my hand and fingers constantly. No sores yet though. But I'm so scared. My outbreaks don't typically blister, they just present as little red spots, likely due to the antivirals which lessen the severity.

Things were supposed to get better with time. This virus was supposed to calm down the longer I had it. I don't drink or use drugs, I eat right, try to be healthy. I don't go to the gym but I have a pretty physical job. But I was able to somehow infect my hand/arm, and now every little red spot I see on my hands or arms I feel like I have to cover it with a bandaid.

I'm so scared I'm going to infect more of my body, or my face, or my eyes in my sleep. I have the rest of my life to accidentally spread it more now. There are no clinical studies on the shedding rate of hsv on hands or arms. I just want to wrap my whole arm with bandages and never take them off. I'm trying to keep it together but I'm spiralling. My doctor and my family don't seem like they're taking it seriously, and act like I shouldn't be worried. "Just take your antivirals". I live alone, and I'm alone with my thoughts all the time. I just want to drink. I want to sleep and not wake up. I want to end it. I just want it to be over. You have no idea how relieving that sounds..."over". Has anyone else had this on their hands or arms and not managed to infect their face, eyes, or torso? Any helpful advice with be great. Cuz I'm about to drive my car into the lake. Why me.

Why is Gene therapy 10 to 15 fucking years off?Why did we not have Pritelivir 10 years ago? The advancements on these AV meds have been virtually non-existent for 50 fucking years. It's fucking negligent. It's ridiculous. I need a fucking whiskey.

A little background, 36 male here. I've had ghsv for 17 years, oral hsv for about 10 years, and more recently I think I've spread it to my left hand.

After taking some extreme antibiotics for recent dental work, which can lower your immune system, I noticed I had a pretty severe genital and oral outbreak simultaneously. When this began, I noticed some pretty serious burning sensations on the left side of my spine in my middle back, which radiated down my left arm. Lymph nodes in my left arm pit were super sore too.

This pain has slowly turned into a tingling and burning sensation which has traveled down my left arm to my hand. It feels just like the start of a new infection, just like when I had my initial genital and oral outbreaks, respectively.

Constant burning and dull soreness. Tingling, radiating down my arm and through my hand, but no sores yet. But I'm convinced they'll show up soon. I'm terrified.

This disease has already wrecked my life. It's ruled over me like a dark cloud for the last 17 years. I lost all desire, determination, and ambition years ago because of this. Everyone says it gets better with time but for me it has only gotten exponentially worse. I don't mean to scare anyone new to this disease, I'm just very bad luck. And I'm tired, and I'm so, so scared. I need my hands. I'm a blue collar worker. I can't afford to lose my ability to work with tools due to chronic contagious infections on my hands. I couldn't live with myself if I spread this to a client or customer. Or constantly worried to touch my own face, or a friend's hand. Or anything else that could put someone at risk.

I guess I'm just venting at this point. Has anyone had prodrome symptoms of whitlow that never erupted to full blown sores? How do you cover it, latex gloves? How do you explain constant finger or hand gloves to people who ask? I'm spiralling and I'm sorry if I sound too panicked right now but I'm just so, so tired of this. I'm just...tired.